Let's talk money Page 14

Let’s talk money

Is my contribution tax deductible?

Yes! Common Change is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization and contributions to your Group Fund and to Common Change Operations are tax deductible to the extent allowable under law.

I belong to a local church congregation and tithe my money to them. But I really like the idea of Common Change. Do you think I should move my tithe across?

Common Change does not want to work in opposition to the local church. If you have already committed your tithe to your church, we strongly encourage you to continue to honour that commitment. The challenge for you would be to look and see if you would be able to commit a portion of your income to your Common Change Group Fund over and above what you are already giving out.

Can I give directly to Common Change to support its mission?

Absolutely! 100% of the money group members contribute to their Group Fund goes to fund requests that you participate in and meet needs that are advocated. But Common Change does have an Operations Fund which people may contribute to over and above their group contributions [or as individual donations]. These operations contributions go toward administrative fees, web-hosting costs, and other operational expenses of the 501c3 non-profit organization.

How much do I have to contribute to my Group Fund?

Each group decides on a financial contribution. This may be a fixed dollar amount like $25.00 a month, a percentage of salary like 1%, or as members feel comfortable.

 

Making a request

How do I make a request?

Once you log into the Common Change site, there is a request form where you fill in your request. This will be sent on to the rest of your group via email notification and the process will be set in motion.

How do I respond to a request?

Members login to their account and respond to needs by clicking on the “Weigh in” tab. They are able to either approve or disapprove of the request.

What happens if I need an answer quickly?

When you share a request to your Common Change group there is an urgency [date] tab and so you can indicate to the group the time you have available for your request.

My best friend knows someone who has a big need. Am I able to advocate a request on my friend’s behalf?

The heart of Common Change is meeting needs through relationship and so anyone who is part of CC is able to share a need from anyone that is within one degree of separation from that person [ie . it has to be someone you know and are in relationship with] So you cannot advocate a request for the friend of a friend.

Someone in my group has shared a request and I don’t feel like it is the best way to spend money. What should I do?

The Common Change model is designed to invite the wisdom of the individuals within the group in deciding how best to meet needs.  Group members are invited to consider the ask that has been presented and try to find an answer to the question, ‘What is the best way that we can meet this need?’